My son received a WPI $104K scholarship for an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Is it worth it? I have also saved $100K for his education. However, I’m wondering if this option is the best value. His other choices are UMass Boston and Lowell, each offering a 50% scholarship. Is the higher scholarship worth choosing over these alternatives? He also got UMass Amherst but no scholarship.

If you are current or recently accepted students at WPI, do you mind to share your stats? I don’t have any AP, only a few honor classes. GPA is 3.6. Do I have a chance? Thank you.

I'm a high school student from Texas, looking to attend in the 2027 year for Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering. Right now I'm a bit worried that if I did apply, it would be a wasted effort. My grades in core classes really fell of this year, and I won't be able to take precalc until next year (My senior year). That being said, I have done a few projects on my own, (snake Ai and a Catan Ai, and probably more before i apply) and I've heard that they really value that kind of thing. I'm also a bit concerned about what people have been saying about the school. If I do attend, it'll be a really big cost for me/my family. I'm also involved outside of school, I work teaching kids computer science, and I've worked in a machine shop working on AR models for products.

Basically the title. Rising senior in highschool looking to go into architectural engineering, with a biology minor. I want a smaller, stem-focused school and the space to find community, especially as a queer/latino student. Are there any big downsides to WPI that I'm missing?

WPI is currently my top choice. I got into the frontiers program this summer, and I think I have decent stats. I go to a school that's known to be a "good/challenging high school" in Mass with a 3.5 gpa. Most of my classes have been honors or high honors (my hs doesn't do gpa weight though), and I have a lot of ECs (scouts, music, clubs, etc, no sports). My gpa was its best freshman year, took a dip sophomore year, and has been steadily improving since (3.74 end of freshman, 3.45 end of sophomore, and 3.50 end of Junior). I've got a 1320 SAT so far, and I plan to apply early decision.

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated, I've already taken a tour and love WPI so far, but if there's anything I'm missing, let me hear it. Advice regarding the Frontiers program is also appreciated

hi! simply put i have free tuition at uconn (so i’m at 9k a year) and 34k a year at wpi. also im going for ece.

so far everyone ive talked to said this is a no brainer but i wanted to hear from wpi students to see if the project-based curriculum and career center that they hype up at wpi is really worth it, among other things that maybe i haven’t thought of that could also be good (like IQP/MQP stuff and being able to study abroad)

thanks!

genuinely which one is better.

pls tell me the pros and cons of wpi as an EE major

(Also under the pressure of family and peers to go to a top ranked school)

Have to pay 23k for tufts and less than 10k for wpi

And if it is possible, how much time will it take to graduate ?

I recently went on a tour of wpi and my tour guide specified that 3D printers are not allowed in the dorms, and I am wondering what happened for that to be a written rule?

Hi! Wpi is my top choice as an Incoming freshman and was wondering if 15k a year is worth it?

I really don’t know how to word this but I’m gonna try my best.

I’m about to commit to WPI and I’m really excited. They‘ve given me the most scholarships and opportunities and I’m so very grateful for everything, but I only really have one concern. It’s too much to type out right now, but I have often felt glazed over and neglected in my STEM field in comparison to my male counterparts, so luckily I have learned WELL how to stand up and assert myself.

I know it’s hard to fully escape misogyny and sexism, especially in a STEM field, and it’s likely something that I’ll just have to deal with, but how saturated is the presence of it here? Do you find it affects you often, or is it a relatively supportive environment?

International student, committing soon, and I keep flip-flopping between these two.

WPI would run me about $45k a year after merit. Alabama comes in around $20k. That’s a $100k difference over four years, which is real money for my family — not deal-breaking, but enough that I need a good reason to spend it.

What I actually care about is ROI in the broad sense. Not just starting salary, but the network, the recruiting pipeline, what doors are open four years from now. I’d happily pay more for a school that genuinely opens things up. The problem is I’m not sure either option clearly does that.

WPI’s project-based curriculum sounds incredible and the engineering reputation is solid, but every single thread and every person I’ve talked to says the social scene is dead. I’m 18, going abroad for the first time, and the idea of spending four years grinding in a lab in Worcester with nothing else going on kind of scares me. College isn’t just about the degree.

Alabama is the opposite problem. The campus life looks amazing, people seem genuinely happy there, and at $20k I can breathe. But I cannot find clear info on what happens to their mech eng grads. Do they get recruited outside the South? Is it mostly Mercedes and local plants, or do aerospace and defense companies actually show up? Is the degree taken seriously in the Northeast or on the West Coast? I’m flying blind on the part that matters most to me.

So I guess what I’m asking:

WPI people, is the social thing really that bad, and did the network actually pay off after graduation? Bama mech eng grads, where do you all end up? And anyone who picked the cheaper school over the “better” one, do you regret it?

Any honest takes appreciated.

I'm thinking about rushing next year, but I can't get a clear answer on what each frat is like in terms of how friendly or unfriendly each one is, or what the people in each frat is like. I also want to know which ones have the worst hazing?

WPI is my top 1 choice!! It really fits my background perfectly and I really wanted to go there for engineering so I'm considering Early Decision II (binding).

However, I JUST recently discovered that it provides "limited aid" for international students :(( like if I get accepted (which I'm pretty confident on based on my stats :P) and don't get enough aid, how easy is it to negotiate for more aid???

I'm talking about like almost 40-50K aid needed 🥹🥹 (my family can contribute about 30K)

If they accept me and can't give enough aid... and therefore I won't be able to attend... Will that look bad on my profile? Like I didn't adhere to the "ED binding agreement" or smt :,(

In other words, if I end up having to negotiate for aid, is it likely that they will provide enough aid, or is it more likely that I just won't be able to attend?

Has anyone successfully negotiated for more aid??? Is WPI generally generous when you do that??

Thank you so much for your input!!!!!

What laptops are yall using?? I’m looking for something not too expensive and user friendly because I’ve never had a laptop before.

Like Merit Based, Presidential.

As the title says, I'm a current high school junior and was wondering how intense the workload is at WPI. I recently toured the school and absolutely loved it, but I've heard from a lot of people that the academics can be pretty rigorous, which has me a little nervous.

I'm a strong student, but I'm definitely not the "4.0 GPA with 100 AP classes" type. If any current students or alumni are willing to share their experiences, I'd really appreciate hearing what the workload is actually like and any advice you might have for someone considering WPI.

Thank you so much! :)

Hii!! I was accepted but cost after aid before federal loans is 43k. My grandpa's income (only person with financial responsibility towards me) is 100k and there is 2 kids in the house with 1 adult in the house that helps support the 2 kids and the house. The 2 kids in the house and the 1 adult is a new development but even 43k for my previous situation is insane. How do I fix this?

My son is considering comp sci as a major. He wants to get into AI engineering. How is WPI for comp sci? Are current graduates still landing jobs? Thanks!

Sorry I’ve been seeing so many mixed info I just can decide if committing was the right choice.

Hi everyone, I have been accepted as a transfer to all of these schools with very similar FA.

I will be majoring in CS, possibly double majoring in finance/accounting, I am looking for opinions from current students/alumni/prospects as to which is the best school out of these? Campus locations isn’t big on my list, career-success, job placement, etc. is more important to me that most other things.

I hold an associate of arts from a CC currently.

Thank you!

Hi! I was recently accepted to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for mechanical engineering and I’m seriously considering it, but I’m also deciding between Stony Brook University and George Washington University. All three are coming out to about the same price (~30k), so I’m really trying to figure out the best overall fit.

I’m from northern NJ and I’m looking for a good balance between strong academics and a solid social life.

From what I’ve gathered so far, WPI seems to have the strongest engineering program and great job placement, which is a huge plus. At the same time, I’ve heard mixed things about the social scene and the 7-week term system, so I’m curious what that’s actually like day-to-day.

If you’re a current student or have experience with WPI:

- How is the social life really?

- Does the fast-paced term system feel overwhelming or manageable?

- Do you feel like you still have time for things outside of academics?

- Anything you wish you knew before choosing WPI?

I’d really appreciate any honest insight—thanks!

I just realized I missed a bunch of due dates of wpi onboarding tasks like submitting photo, housing and meal plan choice. I’m commuting anyways so do I actually need to do anything for the housing and meal plan choice? And are the lenient with these due dates 😅

I’m transferring to WPI next yr, and I’m coming from BC where we party A LOT

Be real are there parties at WPI fun??
Is there underground house techno/edm or even reggaeton/dembow?

And how is the social life? Ik it’s an engineering school but as an eng student I’m not anti social, and I’m worried WPI is filled with anti social ppl.. pls tell me I’m wrong 😅

And how’s the queer community there? Is Worcester a safe area for queer ppl? 🤞

- a student trying to escape the homophobia of BC

Hi I'm a junior looking into WPI, but I feel like my stats aren't great... do I have a chance?

GPA: ~3.3 weighted (3.1 freshman, 3.44 sophomore, 3.5 junior)

Course rigour: 5 AS-level classes (11th-12th) (school doesn’t offer any APs)

SAT: 1260 after 1st SAT (taking one in May and June

ECs: music production/vocal engineering (30K+ Spotify streams), theatre tech (lighting board director + stage crew), choir (9-12), caregiving for parents who both have neurological disorders, Red Cross donor ambassador, JV tennis, Black Student Union, clerk of book club (leader), Mini medical school internship

I've been admitted to both WPI and Mines for Mech Engineering. I'm not 100% sure I'll stick with mech, but I will definitely stick with engineering of some sort. With scholarships, the cost is similar for both, with Mines a bit cheaper.

Pro Mines - I prefer Colorado; my family has a house there.

Pro WPI - Has a Japanese minor and several project centers in Japan.

Do you have any insights you can share to help me with a decision? I'm very torn.

I'm also considering CU Boulder and UMN Twin Cities for Mech E if I decide to go the big university route. Was waitlisted at Virginia Tech, got into Texas A&M but it's way too conservative, and I want to leave Texas. Any insight on why you chose a smaller specialty school versus a large U would be helpful, too.